<p>I applied for this scholarship back in October got notification today. Apparently I was selected but they do not have any scholarship money to give. Instead they offered me a t-shirt and certificate but wait, it gets better- I have to buy the $13.50 tee and the $7.00 certificate. Was this a scam? Did this happen to anyone else? I am so disappointed and angry. Finally thought I got just one scholarship :(</p>
<p>This happened to our D. I was appalled at the letter…they had no money–first year ever supposedly for that to happen–and they wanted us to but their t-shirts instead or pay $7 for a piece of paper that said she had won. We felt scammed by this too.</p>
<p>Scam. Report them to Better Business.</p>
<p>My D also got the letter yesterday. In hindsight, we should have recognized this might be a scam as they were the only scholarship that asked for a self addressed stamped envelope. So, the “we have no money” letter actually came to use via the envelope we provided.</p>
<p>I remember my D almost applying for this , and something told me it wasn’t real.
sorry you had to go thru that :(</p>
<p>i just received my letter today
bummed out that theres no more money ):</p>
<p>it letter says less than 1% of applicants received this award nationwide
is this true…?</p>
<p>I got my letter today… there’s something about it that doesn’t sound right. Why would you offer a scholarship if you weren’t sure that you were able to get it funded? I don’t get it.</p>
<p>I just checked the Better Business Bureau, and it seems okay. Here’s the link if you want to look for yourself: [BBB</a> Review of Outstanding Students Of America in Tuscaloosa, AL](<a href=“http://www.bbb.org/central-alabama/business-reviews/educational-consultants/outstanding-students-of-america-in-tuscaloosa-al-72002095]BBB”>http://www.bbb.org/central-alabama/business-reviews/educational-consultants/outstanding-students-of-america-in-tuscaloosa-al-72002095)</p>
<p>Thinking back you are absolutely right about the self address envelope thing. I looked it up on googlemaps and the address is a house in the middle of the neighborhood. I called the phone number and some old man is on the answering machine. The website is convenietly down as well… Did everyone on this post who got a letter get selected? Thanks for the support and comments!!</p>
<p>My letter says:
“Congratulations you have been selced as an Oustanding Student of America.” and then it goes on to say “For the first time in ten years we will not be able to provide scholarships to deserving students like you”. Is this the same as your’s?</p>
<p>One thing that bugs me about it is that it’s not on real stationary. It’s just computer paper with a logo on the top. All of the other letters that I’ve recieved from scholarships have been on nicer paper.</p>
<p>This reminds me of an old literary scam, where students with even the slightest interest in art, poetry, or other writing can submit their work to some sort of lofty-sounding National Poetry Contest. Within a few weeks, they send you a letter announcing that the student’s work is going into some sort of anthology and for the low, low price of $14.95 + shipping / handling they can get the anthology to keep forever and ever (or until the cheap binding falls apart…)</p>
<p>These poetry scams are often put on literary watchlists. I think that there is (or should be) a similar watchlist for these scholarship scams.</p>
<p>I got this letter today too…big bummer. Really lame actually. I finally get something and it’s worthlessssss.</p>
<p>I got this letter too. What a joke.</p>
<p>I also got this letter last night… ridiculous. Does anyone remember what all we had to complete in the application? I am trying to remember how much work I put into it for nothing. I tried to find it online but of course it conviently gone as someone said earlier. Does anyone remember if we had to put down our social security numbers for it too?</p>
<p>By the way, it looks like we get an Outstanding Student thread every year: [url=<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/8917-outstanding-students-america.html]2004[/url”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/8917-outstanding-students-america.html]2004[/url</a>], [url=<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/103665-outstanding-students-america-scam.html]2005[/url”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/103665-outstanding-students-america-scam.html]2005[/url</a>], [url=<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/418788-outstanding-students-america.html]2007[/url”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/418788-outstanding-students-america.html]2007[/url</a>], [url=<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/626846-outstanding-students-america.html]2008[/url”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/626846-outstanding-students-america.html]2008[/url</a>], and [url=<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/418788-outstanding-students-america.html]2009[/url”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/418788-outstanding-students-america.html]2009[/url</a>].</p>
<p>I know a kid who got the scholarship, actually. It’s only a $1000, but honestly it’s not worth it. The whole thing is a scam to get you to buy a book; the scholarship is an afterthought used to get people to apply every year.</p>
<p>Thanks Gardna. This Outstanding Students of America thing has to stop continuing though!</p>
<p>No problem.</p>
<p>The website appears to be down. I’m not sure if this is a permanent condition or if it’ll miraculously be back up to hose the next generation of college applicants.</p>
<p>Sort of real, sort of a scam. The do give out scholarships, but they fund them by selling the books and crap. So if nobody buys the books, no nobody gets scholarships. Btw, if you look up their address, you’ll see this “organization” has its headquarters is in a residential subdivision…</p>